Hidden
by itdoesn'thavetomakesense
Summary: Arianthe Malfoy is eleven years old and about to attend Hogwarts. But when she gets there, she discovers old prejudices that have traveled through generations, and when one of the top offenders, Cameron, is killed, Arianthe is the number one suspect.


Hidden

Arianthe Malfoy

"I can't wait to go to Hogwarts, Daddy, I can't wait, oh, it's so exciting!" I exclaimed, looking up at my father adoringly.

He smiled down fondly at me. "I felt the same way when I was your age, Arainthe." He said warmly. I threw a smirk Scorpius and Selene's way. I was going to win this bet.

"Aren't you guys excited?" I asked them, masking my sudden lack of interest toward my Dad. Scorpius and Selene quickly nodded after my Dad threw a look that he thought he was hiding from me their way.

"Terribly excited."

"Can't wait."

"Draco, it's ten to," My Mum told my Dad gently. Dad turned back to me.

I took this as a cue to bring out the Puppy Dog Eyes. I widened my big silver eyes and tucked my blond ringlets behind my ears.

"Daddy?" I asked, nearly sniffling.

"What, sweetie?" He asked me.

Like putty.

"I—I was thinking—it's an awfully long trip to Hogwarts, and, well, breakfast was so long ago—"

My Dad slapped his hand to his forehead. "I nearly forgot!" He exclaimed. He brought his wallet out of his back pocket and shook out a handful of coins. "Here you go. That should be enough to tide you over."

I smirked at Scorpius and Selene again, who weren't doing a very good job at masking their amazement. I also caught a glimpse of my Mum, who was shaking her head with a slight smile; she knew exactly what I was doing.

I slipped the coinage into my pocket. "Thank you, Daddy!" I squealed, and I threw myself into his arms. He hugged me tightly.

The train whistle blew, and Mum said sharply, "Draco!"

He released me. "Go!" He urged. Scorpius grabbed my hand, and we jumped on the already moving train. I ran to the window and waved at my Mum and Dad until we pulled out of sight.

"Damn, you're good." Scorpius gave a low whistle. "Let's see that cash."

"We should find Rose and Al first," Selene reminded Scorpius.

Scorpius and Selene are twins. They're identical. They both have stormy grey eyes, with flecks of blue and straight blond hair. They look like models. I don't. I have too-big silvery eyes and wild, snarly hair. Mum likes to call it 'wild curls', but I know better. I'm not a child.

Well, I am, I'm only eleven, but that's not the point.

"Right," Scorpius said. "Let's see where those buggers went off to. I saw them just a minute ago."

"You won't have to look far," I said. "Is that them?" I pointed towards a boy and a girl. They looked about Scorpius and Selene's age. The boy had messy black hair and striking green eyes. He looked as if he had just gone through a growth spurt, and was adjusting very awkwardly. The girl had bushy auburn hair and chocolaty brown eyes. In comparison to the boy, she was quite short, although she was taller than I was.

"Oi!" Scorpius called to them. "It is them Arianthe, good work," He added to me. "Al! Rose!"

The boy and the girl, Albus and Rose, trotted over to us. When they got closer, I could see that Albus looked sad. Mournful, even.

"Hey, mate!" Scorpius exclaimed. "Er—what's up?" Scorpius glanced at Selene. He seemed to have noticed the same thing I had about Albus.

"Hey, mate . . . is this the year that—?"

"Yes," Albus said shortly.

"I'm sorry, Albus." Selene said quietly.

"Don't be." Albus said, ending the conversation and leaving me very confused. "Is this your little sister?" He asked.

"I'm Arianthe." I said, sticking out my hand. Albus exchanged a glance with Scorpius and shook it.

"At least this one has manners," Rose said, speaking for the first time. She threw a dirty look at Scorpius that seemed half-joking. She shook my hand and leaned in close.

"No offence to your brother, hun, but his manners suck."

I decided that Rose was my favourite.

"Oi, Weasley, don't corrupt my sister." Scorpius threw at Rose as he strutted down the corridor, glancing in every compartment to find an empty one.

"Don't be so arrogant, Malfoy," Rose called back. I could just sense Scorpius rolling his eyes.

Selene sighed. "Let's go, before he gets hexed into next Tuesday."

Scorpius eventually found an empty compartment, and the first few moments were filled with Scorpius, Selene, Albus, and Rose catching up, until Scorpius turned to me and asked me how much money I managed to get off Dad.

I dug in my back pocket and emptied it onto the seat next to me. Rose whistled. "You are _loaded, _girl!"

Selene shot Rose a look. "And you say Scorpius doesn't have manners." She scolded.

Rose rolled her eyes and helped Scorpius count the money. When they were finished, Scorpius sat back.

"10 galleons, 16 sickles, and 13 knuts." He rattled off. "How did you _do _that?"

"Puppy Dog Eyes can work wonders." I responded sweetly.

"_Right," _Scorpius said sceptically.

"Scorpius, can you please go get me a Pumpkin Pasty?" I asked, employing the Puppy Dog Eyes.

"No." Scorpius said. I stared at him, widening my eyes and making my lower lip tremble. Scorpius shifted uncomfortably. "Don't look at me like that!"

"Please?" I asked, drawing out the word.

"Fine!" Scorpius said, getting up and walking out of the compartment. I grinned and sat back.

"That was good," Albus said. Those were the first words he had spoken to me since I had seen him today.

"Thanks," I responded. "He'll be back in a second."

The compartment door opened, and Scorpius walked back in. "You tricked me!" He blustered.

"You can believe I tricked you, but in the end you know it was your own stupidity." I told him, smiling sweetly.

Rose high-fived me, and Selene shot me a disapproving look. I stuck my tongue out at her.

"Slytherin, for sure." Scorpius said.

"I don't know, Scorpius, she seems pretty clever. Maybe she'll end up an eagle." Rose said with a smirk.

Scorpius looked horrified. "Noooooo!" He wailed. "Promise me you won't, Arianthe!"

"No promises, Scorp." I said with a grin. "I'm not sure I want to be a snake anyways."

"There's nothing wrong with Slytherin." Al said softly.

"Right," Rose said. "What's your motto? We're not evil, we're just misunderstood?" Albus glared at her.

"What's Ravenclaw's motto? Wit beyond measure is man's greatest treasure? That makes you sound like a bunch of heartless walking dictionaries." Albus retorted.

"I'd rather be a walking dictionary than a Death Eater." Rose said, her eyes spitting fire at Albus.

I glanced at Selene. "I thought they were cousins." I whispered to her. She rolled her eyes.

"They are, but ever since Al got sorted into Slytherin and Rose got sorted into Ravenclaw they've been receiving all sorts about not being sorted into Gryffindor, and this is their way of getting it out of their systems. They're not really mad at each other."

"They seem mad at each other." I said as Albus insulted Ravenclaw again. "Like, really mad."

"The first day back is always the worst." Scorpius told me. "It's where everybody wishes the newest Weasleys good luck on getting into Gryffindor, and then surreptitiously glance at Al and Rose, because they didn't get into Gryffindor."

"You seem to know a lot about that." I told him with a smirk.

Scorpius rolled his eyes. "Well, I was there, wasn't I?"

"Stalking the Weasleys? I knew you liked Rose!" Selene whispered triumphantly.

"Shut it," Scorpius growled, glancing at Rose to see if she'd heard.

"Scorpius likes Rose, Scorpius likes Rose—" Selene chanted.

"_Silencio!" _Scorpius muttered, taking out his wand and pointing it at Selene.

"You have to teach me that one," I said, glancing fervently at Selene as she opened and closed her mouth without any sound issuing from it.

"It's a complicated spell for a first year." Scorpius said.

"It's worth it if it can shut Selene up." I told him.

Scorpius shrugged. "You make a good point." He said as Selene glared at us.

The rest of the train ride went about the same. Rose and Al shot insults at each other, with intervals of friendship, and Selene and I teased Scorpius about liking Rose. All too soon, the train was pulling into Hogsmeade station, and Scorpius, Selene, Rose, and Al were saying goodbye to me as a large man named Hagrid escorted me and the other first years to a fleet of wooden boats.

"No more'n four ter a boat!" Hagrid announced. I glanced around. Most of my fellow classmates were quickly separating into groups of four. I glanced at a girl near me, who saw me looking and wrinkled her nose, looking away. I stared at her for a second, confused, but decided to move on as she joined another group.

I moved toward a boy and a girl who were standing in front of a boat. "Mind if I join you?" I asked.

"Not at all." The girl said. She seemed to be a no-nonsense person, with an agenda of her own. She held out her hand, and when I shook it, her grip was firm. I immediately labelled her as a future business women.

"My name's Morgan, Morgan Moon." She said briskly. "And this is Cameron, Cameron Richardson. What's your name?"

"Arianthe Malfoy." I said. Cameron sneered when I said my name, and I turned on him. "What?" I demanded.

"You're a Malfoy? My parents say that your family is bad news." He said snottily.

"Oh yeah?" I asked, balling my hands into fists. "Well, you parents can shove it up their arses. My family hasn't done anything to you."

Cameron looked as if he was about to say something nasty, but Hagrid came over and dropped another first year, a boy with light blond hair and striking blue eyes, next to us. "This is Oliver." He rumbled. "He's gonna be ridin' in th' boat with yeh."

We all looked at Oliver, who was turning red. "Er—I'm Oliver." He mumbled. "Oliver Jones."

"Morgan Moon." Morgan introduced, shaking Oliver's hand. "And this is Arianthe Malfoy and Cameron Richardson."

Oliver greeted us, and looked as if he was about to say more, but Hagrid hollered for us to get in our boats, so we did. They jerked forward, sailing toward the beautiful castle, Hogwarts.

We passed under a curtain of ivy and gently bumped against a rocky shore. We all stumbled out onto the rock, and Hagrid, who took up most of the room on the shore by himself, knocked briskly on the door three times.

The door immediately flew open. We were greeted by a witch in bright purple robes and flyaway hair that was haphazardly tucked under a pointed hat. Hagrid turned to us and announced proudly, "Firs' years, this is Headmistress Roberts."

Headmistress Roberts waved a hand toward Hagrid good-naturedly. "Nonsense, Hagrid. Headmistress Roberts makes me sound like a stuffy old hag. Call me Andrea." She turned and winked at us. "Not you, first years. You can call me Professor Roberts."

"She's more like a public school social worker than a headmistress." Cameron sneered, but I ignored him.

"Now, come in, you must be catching a cold!" Professor Roberts exclaimed. She ushered us inside a huge hall. We all filed in, standing closer to each other than we normally would have.

Professor Roberts stood at the front of the crowd. The huge door boomed shut as Hagrid entered another hall off the left; one that we could hear was teeming with noise.

"Now," She said, clapping her hands. "We have a lot to talk about! But I'll start with the four houses, since I know that's what most of you wish to know about." She winked at us. "There are four houses that you could be sorted into. They are called Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, and Slytherin. You are to be sorted into them in just a moment, and when you are, you will sit with your correct house and follow you house Prefects to your Common Room after the feast."

"As you go through your Hogwarts carrier, your house will act as you temporary family. You can earn house points and lose them. You have a house Quidditch team. Winning Quidditch matches will earn your house points, and we will compete for the Quidditch Cup. We will also compete for the House Cup. Whichever house has the most points at the end of the year gets the House Cup."

Professor Roberts paused. "It's time for your sorting, now. Follow me and stand in a straight line in front of the staff table. Good luck!"

We followed Professor Roberts into the Great Hall, which was filled with people in black robes. I could just spot Scorpius, Selene, and Al at the Slytherin table, and Rose at the Ravenclaw table. She was chatting with some friends, but she paused to wave at me when I walked in.

I found myself standing in line next to Oliver and Morgan. Cameron was behind Oliver, and I found that I could still hear his snide comments. A tiny professor carried out a stool with a ragged old hat on it, and brought out a list that skimmed the floor.

"When I call your name, please step up, and place the Sorting Hat on your head!" The tiny professor announced in a squeaky voice.

The Sorting Hat. Scorpius and Selene had told me all about trying on the hat and getting Sorted.

The professor cleared his throat, and said in a clear voice, "Avery, Miles!" A large boy with dark hair stepped up to the stool. The professor placed the Sorting Hat on his head, and it took two seconds for the hat to call out, "SLYTHERIN!" To the hall.

The professor called off a bunch of names that I didn't recognize. "Brown, Lilac, was sorted into Hufflepuff. Duffy, Evan, was sorted into Ravenclaw. Gregor, Isaac, was the first Gryffindor.

"Jones, Oliver!" The professor called. Oliver walked up to the stool on trembling legs. The hat went over his eyes, but almost immediately, it called out, "RAVENCLAW!"

Oliver walked over to the table that was cheering the loudest, and sat next to a boy that I didn't recognize, but that looked a couple years older than Oliver.

Down the list of names again, until, all too soon, "Malfoy, Arianthe!" Was called.

The Hall erupted into whispers. I saw money changing hands. Were they . . . betting on me?

The hat slipped over my eyes, and almost immediately the voice started speaking to me, the voice that Scorpius and Selene had described. The Hat's voice.

_Oh, a Malfoy! Another one. But you seem . . . different . . . from all the other Malfoys I've previously sorted, and I don't just mean your brother and sister, I mean all the other Malfoys. I remember every young lad or lass I've ever sorted, you know, and all of your family have belonged in Slytherin. But you, Arianthe . . . I think you belong in RAVENCLAW!_

I heard the hat shout the last word to the hall, and Rose's table erupted in cheers. As I walked between the Ravenclaw and Slytherin table, I caught a snippets of conversation.

"Damn, I was so sure she'd be a Slytherin."

"Call me crazy, but my money was on her being a Puffer."

"A Malfoy? In our house? I think I may die of shame!"

I whipped around, staring at the offender, an older girl with a turned-up nose. My hands balled into fists, and I glared at her. She noticed my glare and sneered at me.

"Arianthe, c'mon. It's not worth it." I turned to see Rose, pulling my sleeve. I allowed myself to be towed to where Rose's friends were sitting, father down the table than the girl with the nose.

Rose introduced me to her friends, two girls named Tienne and Aimee. Rose explained what had happened with me and the girl with the nose, who I learned was named Cordelia Sidebrook. Tienne and Aimee complained about Cordelia for a bit, but the conversation drifted, and I turned my attention back up to the Sorting Hat.

Merone, Ursula, was sorted into Gryffindor, and then it was Morgan's turn. I crossed my fingers under the table as she strutted confidently up to the hat. She sat on the stool and the hat hardly touched her head before proclaiming her a Ravenclaw.

I cheered along with the rest of my new house, and waved to get her attention. Her eyes lit up when she saw me, and she walked as quickly as she could down the table to me without running.

"We're both Ravenclaws! Isn't it great?" She exclaimed, taking a spot across from me, next to Tienne. "I'm Morgan Moon, by the way." She introduced herself to Rose, Aimee, and Tienne. They hardly acknowledged Morgan, as they were in an intense discussion about how unfair it was that their—our—head of house gave summer homework.

"I saw what happened with that girl." Morgan said, leaning across the table to scrutinize me. "How d'you know her?" She jerked her head at Rose.

"She's my sister Selene's friend." I said.

"Oh, that's right, you have a sister." Morgan said as Nelson, Neil, got sorted into Slytherin.

"I have a brother too," I said, glancing back at Morgan curiously. I had been watching another classmate, Nottingham, Teagan, walk up to the stool. "His name's—"

"Scorpius, I know." Morgan said. I gave her my full attention now.

"How did you know that?" I asked curiously.

"I think everybody does." Morgan said, looking surprised. When I just looked confused, she said, "You really don't know?"

I shook my head.

"Well," Morgan began. "I'm not the best to explain it because my father never told me all the facts, but all I know is," She leaned in closer; giving the words she uttered afterwards a very ominous effect. "That your father did something bad in the war. _Real _bad."

"My father?" I asked. I felt like the bench beneath me had disappeared and I was falling. "But what could he have done?"

"Richardson, Cameron!" The small professor called.

Morgan diverted her attention to the front of the hall. "I want to see this."

Cameron strutted up to the Sorting Hat, and put it on his own head, not waiting for the professor to assist him. Ten seconds passed . . . thirty. A minute. Two.

Finally, after four minutes, the hat called out, "RAVENCLAW!"

I groaned. The last thing I needed right now was him in my house.

Cameron walked along the table, and chose a spot nearer to the front of the hall than Morgan and I was seated.

"Arianthe, what do you think?" Rose asked. I jerked out of my reverie and looked over to her.

"What?"

Rose and her friends engaged Morgan and me in their conversation, not allowing me any time to think about what Morgan had told me about my father. After the last first year was sorted, Professor Roberts stood and said a few words, mostly about the rules and dates of events. Then, she clapped her hands, and food appeared on the golden plates that were on the table.

It seemed like forever until the food finally vanished, and the Prefect stood up to lead us to the Ravenclaw Common room. I was exhausted and ready to fall asleep on my feet, and between Rose and Morgan, I hadn't been able to think about what Morgan mention about my father, which was killing me. When I want to know something, I _really _need to know it, now. I guess that's one of the qualities that got me into Ravenclaw.

We took a twisting path around the castle, with our Prefect, a girl with curly hair, shouted warnings about moving staircases and stone walls that were really doors and ghosts that floated through the walls spontaneously. All the while, I could hear Cameron's comments about how disorganized the whole affair was.

Finally, I snapped. We were traveling up a stone staircase that was tightly wound, and it seemed like we'd been climbing it forever, when Cameron mentioned how bad the architecture was. "I mean, what if somebody trips? That's a long way down."

I spun around. "You know what, Cameron, nobody cares! Just shut up, okay!" I snapped.

"Don't tell him what to do, _Malfoy_!" A short girl with straight black hair and electric blue eyes said, pushing her way in front of Cameron.

"Shut your mouth, there's nothing wrong with being a Malfoy!" Morgan said angrily, coming to my defence, which I was glad about.

"Yeah, my family didn't do anything!" I said, sounding rather stupid, and realizing this just after the words had left my mouth. Cameron snickered, picking up on this too.

"Wow, you're stupid. You don't know what your Death Eater father did? How did you even get into Ravenclaw?" The girl asked.

I didn't know what Death Eater meant, but I could tell it wasn't anything good. I lunged at the girl, clawing at her face, and she shrieked, running down the staircase to safety.

"Protego!" I slammed into an invisible force, and fell to the floor. The Prefect with the curly hair was standing over me. "We do _not," _She said, helping me up. "Attack other students."

"Yeah! You could've killed me!" The girl yelled. Cameron smirked at me, and this set me off again.

"What's the matter? Can't fight your own battles?" I screamed at him. "You had to get a girl to defend you!"

The smirk slid off his face immediately as the first years around me snickered. But the Prefect did not look amused. "Malfoy." She barked. "Detention. Six o'clock on Monday evening. Meet me in the trophy room."

The smirk was back on Cameron's face, and the girl laughed cruelly at me. The Prefect made me walk up front with her, and when we reached the entrance for Ravenclaw Tower, I couldn't even get the riddle I was so angry, even though I'd heard it a million times before.

Once I had changed into my pyjamas in my dormitory, I climbed onto my bed and shut the hangings tightly. I leaned back against the headboard, and brought my knees up to my chest, wrapping my arms around my legs. I put my chin on my knees and gazed at the patterned, deep blue cloth that blocked me out from the other girls in my dormitory.

_Why _did everybody seem to hate me so much? What had I done to them? I drew up a mental list of everybody who had sneered, frowned, or glared at me. The girl by the boats. Cameron, of course. The girl with the black hair. The girl with the nose. The Prefect. That made five people in one night who hated me.

What had my father done that offended these people so much?

The girl with the black hair's words echoed in my head. _You don't know what your Death Eater father did? _

I had a feeling Death Eater was something really bad. But why was she calling my father one?

I thought back to just this morning, when I was so excited to go to Hogwarts. I was standing with Mum and Dad, coaxing money out of them, like usual. Rose, Scorpius, Selene, Al and I were joking around in the compartment. What had changed from then to know?

I felt like crying. I had a distinct feeling of being let down by Hogwarts. It was _supposed _to be my second home. But right now, I just want to leave.


End file.
